About 80 people representing families in three different land disputes gathered to file petitions in front of the Ministry of Land Management yesterday.

The activists said they were motivated to come after hearing that the new land management minister, Chea Sophara, had made a priority of solving land disputes on May 30.

The ministry accepted the petitions yesterday.

Hum Thoeun, representing 45 families in Preah Sihanouk province, said guards of the Than Suor Company, which he said was managed by Deputy Prime Minister Yim Chhayly, stopped people from cultivating their land.

Meanwhile, representatives of 800 families from Kampot said they wanted the government to expedite measuring their land for titles.

Deputy Provincial Governor Heng Vutha seized their land for the military, they said.

The deputy PM and Than Suor could not be reached yesterday. Kampot Deputy Governor Heng Vutha denied the allegation, saying the land belonged to the state.